Black and Blue
by SingerOfTheNight
Summary: The pain that Maka's body echoed, was almost too agonizing to bear. What was going on? She didnt want to die. She wanted Soul. ******* please read and REVIEW!thx!
1. Chapter 1

Her whole body ached. She could barely move with out gasping in agony, but that didn't stop her from throwing her sweater over her head and grabbing her books, before stumbling out the door.

She didn't want Soul to know. Heck, she didn't want anyone to know. Her hand felt it's way up the bottom of her shirt, and skidded to her right side. Her fingers gently swept over the indentions in her skin, as she winced in pain. Bite marks.

_Stupid Witch!, _Her mind shouted. Who would bite someone in the side? And why the hell did it hurt so much?

"Ugh," she groaned.

"Something wrong?" The snow-haired boy said locking the door to their apartment.

"Uh, no!" She snapped, looking at him.

He drew the key out of the door, before ever so gracefully putting it in his pocket. "Chill out, jeez, it is your time of the month or something?" He glanced at her, rolling his crimson eyes.

Her eyebrows furrowed, but she didn't respond. It even hurt to talk. Instead she focused on walking. _Okay Maka, one foot . . . and then the other . . . okay . . . repeat. _Who ever thought walking could be so murderously painful?

She sighed, this must be all part of Medusa's magnificent plan of killing her. A last chance decision. Maka remembered it oh so clearly . . . After all it _was _last night.

_Flash back_

"_Foolish girl!" The snake witch hissed, "You really think you can defeat me?" _

"_Well, if you haven't noticed, I'm not the one bleeding on the ground right now am I?" The blond girl grinned furiously._

_A deafening cackle escaped Medusa's lips. "Oh, but you will be soon . . ." She lifted her weak arm, and pointed it to the girls stomach. A pitch black snake shot from her and in a bat of an eye, bit Maka on the side before dissolving into a fine mist. She herself, wouldn't have known what it had done if she had not felt it._

"_Wow, you are stupid, huh? You missed!" Soul said with a touch of humor in his voice. He was clueless . . . _

_The witch let out another booming laugh before she feel limp . . . Forever . . . Hopefully . . . _

_End flash back_

The school slowly came into view, as the pair walked side by side, Soul glancing at his partner every now again. Something wasn't right.

" You sure your ok?" He asked, eyebrows raised.

"I. Am. Fine." She hissed causing him to back up a couple of steps. They walked through the doors and into Professor Stein's room, before , Maka, carefully took her seat, holding in a shriek of pain.

Another dissection of course, but thank fully they just had to take notes. She picked up her pencil, then, gasping, dropped it from her hand. She looked at her hands, watching bruises slowly cover the tips of her pale fingers.

Soul, noticing the silent gasp, looked at Maka.

"What's wrong?" A hint of concern in his voice.

"Bug." She said quickly. He shrugged and returned to doodling on his notebook.

Maka sat, confused. How the hell can someone get a bruise from picking up a pencil? So for the rest of the class, she decided not to touch anything. But that wouldn't stop people from touching her.

"Hey, Maka." Came a hushed whisper from behind her. She turned to see a sky-blue-haired boy staring at her intently. "Can I copy your notes?"

"No." She said, she didn't want to be in pain for speaking too many words.

"Come on, Maka!" Black*Star said his pencil poking her in the back. A gasp, loud and agonizing, fought itself free from her lips.

"Stop!" She almost yelled. Soul turned toward her, a look of complete concern etched on his face.

"Maka? What's wrong?" He asked.

"Nothing! I just want to be left alone."

Soul nodded at Black*Star, who sat back in his seat grumbling something about defying someone who was greater than God.

The final bell rang, as Maka, wincing, fought her way through the crowd in an effort to get home.

As she finally exited the building, she only had one thing on her mind. Home.

Time seemed to slow drastically before she finally arrived at her destination. She unlocked the door, swung it open, and the after entering, gently closed it. She carefully pulled off her jacket, and softly hung it on the coat rack, before leaning on the kitchen counter for support from her pain.

Not long after that Soul, repeating the process Maka had performed, arrived and walked over to her.

"You'd tell me if something _was_ wrong right?" He questioned, uncertainty hovering in his voice.

A slight pause. "Yeah, of course I would." She fibbed.

But it worked, he shot a toothy grin at her before announcing that he would make dinner tonight.

She smiled, "Thanks." She quietly answered.

He lifted his hand, and slapped her on the back as a response. Maka, then screamed bloody murder, as tears flooded down her eyes. All at once she went limp, passing out cold from the unbearable pain.

Soul's eyes widened to that of utter shock, as he caught his falling partner.

"Maka!" He yelled. _What did I do?_

He lifted up the back of her shirt and saw two tiny bruises. _Is that from where Black*Star poked her today?_

He then lifted it up a bit further ,careful not to go past the back of her bra strap, and saw an even bigger, hideous, black and blue blob.

"Oh my god . . ."

It was in the shape of a handprint.

He had hurt her.


	2. Nasty inconveniences

_She gazed at the black cloak on the ground. Her body began to move involuntarily, slowly making its way to the dark colored cloth. One foot moved . . . Then another. Each one, patiently gracing it self to slide in front of the cloth . She felt her hand lift itself , inching its way to its destination._

_Her hand stiffened, as blood oozed out from under the sheet. The red liquid began to dampen her feet, as she scooted closer, her mind screaming no, but her body was determined to uncover secret beneath the cloak._

_She clutched the cloak, ever so carefully peeling it a way. A head with blond hair, began to poke itself into view. Eyes . . . she recognized those eyes. Those green . . . very green eyes._

_She remembered now._

_Her eyes._

_The secret underneath the cloth was her._

_Or it used to be._

"_No, no, no." The pigtailed girl shook her head furiously. She wasn't dead. Was she? "No, No . . . NO!"_

"No!" she screamed as her eyes shot open.

"Maka! Are you Ok? What's wrong?" She hadn't realized she was in her apartment or that she was on the couch. She also didn't realize that a young man was starring at her at the moment.

Her eyes slowly lifted themselves to rest on his face. Soul's face. The one that was always so calm and collected. The one that when she saw it, she knew everything was okay. The one that she loved. What she saw surprised her. His expression wasn't calm . . . Or collected. His eyebrows seemed to point away from each other, angling at his forehead. His eyes wide while he searched in hers. And his perfect mouth was slightly open as puffs of air escaped his lips. Oh, she understood now. He looked, worried! When did he start to care? She thought no one cared . . .

She stared at him for a moment before answering, " Bad dream . . ."

" . . . the bruises?" He asked carefully, " How can you bruise so easily? . . ."

Another pause. "Medusa . . ."

He turned and looked at her in confusion. "But, she's dead . . ."

Another moment in silence. "You remember the snake that shot from her arm as she was about to die?" She asked, each word painful.

"Yea, what about it?"

" . . . it didn't miss . . ."

He shut his scarlet eyes, as distraught thoughts started to clam themselves in his head. He massaged his temples, trying to calm himself down. "Why didn't you tell me?" He asked, trying to keep his anger in control.

" I didn't think it was a big deal . . ."

He couldn't hold it any longer. "Well! Do you think it's a big deal now? Huh?" He screamed.

"Soul, please, don't get angry." Her eyes glanced at him, before returning themselves to her feet.

He traced her eyes to her feet. "Oh, Maka? Guess, freaking what? You've got bruises on your feet, too! And not only that but on your hands as well!"

Her eyes trailed up to his face, desperately pleading for him to calm down.

He relaxed before releasing a stressful sigh. " What are we gonna do Maka?"

She pondered over his question for a moment. What kind of meister could she be? She cant fight like this! If she were to get hit just barely, even a quick punch, she would get knocked out. Or worse die. But Soul needed her to make him a death scythe, a powerful weapon not just a plain ordinary one.

But then again, Soul never was and never will be just an ordinary scythe.

But he needed to be more powerful! And there's probably no way that there's a "extreme case for bruising cure" any where. At least there wont be anytime soon.

She cant keep doing this . . . holding him back. There was only one choice in this matter, whether it hurt her or not, she had to put Soul first.

"I know one thing you can do . . ." She said quietly.

He looked at her, hope filling his eyes. "What?'

God, could she really do this? Yes, she had too. If she really cared about him she would. But she knew that she didn't just care about him, she, well, she . . . Ugh! Why was it so hard to say? She . . .

She loved him.

"I . . . don't . . . think . . ." She sucked in her courage "we should be partners anymore. . ."

His eyes starred at her. Gosh, she's dumb.

"Maka, shut up. Quit being stupid. Just because you got hurt doesn't mean you cant be a meister anymore. I'm your weapon, and as your weapon I will stick by you no matter what, until the very end."

She shot up at him, "Don't you see Soul? I didn't _just _get hurt this time! I got _infected_! I'm always dragging you down Soul! I cant take the guilt anymore!" Tears started to tug at her eyes, but she wouldn't let them go this time.

"What guilt? Without you, I wouldn't be where I am today! Don't you see Maka? If one doesn't have the other, we'll both be dragged down! I don't understand you sometimes! Why cant you realize that I _want_ to be your weapon?" He paused as he started to stare at his hands, "I cant live without you . . ."

She couldn't hold it, tears forced themselves from her eyes. How could someone care so much about her? She was just Maka, plain, ordinary Maka . . . _why _would someone care so much . . . Why?

Soul mouth opened in surprise as a pair of tiny arms surrounded his body.

"Maka? What are you doing? Isn't this hurting you?"

Yes, it was obviously putting her in despairing agony, but she didn't seem to care. Soul took her arms and slowly rested them in his hands, he was barely touching her, trying not to cause her much pain.

"I'll be right back."

He set her arms at her side and made her lay back down, before cautiously exciting the petite apartment. Maka silently watched him leave, eyes filled with sorrow when he closed the door. She had never felt so alone. No one in the world knew how much pain she was enduring. No one but one person had even thought about asking if she was okay, and know that one person has left. Would he really be "right back"? Would it take him a few minutes? Days? Years . . .

No, she should trust him. He was her friend . . . right? Maka couldn't get over the uncertainty dwelling deep inside her soul, but that wasn't all. Something right next to uncertainty, something far worse. Despair.

Her body started to shake uncontrollably, as speckles of pain shot through her body and tears poured down her crazed face. She knew what this meant. Panic attack.

_Doom. . .. _

She had to calm down. She had dealt with far worse before, yes FAR worse. Calm, calm . . .

_Doom._

She squeezed her eyes shut. She had to keep telling herself that everything was going to be okay. Everything's okay . . . everything's okay.

_Doom!_

No! Nothing is doomed! Everything's okay, Soul will be back. He'll come back. For her.

_DOOM!_

"No!" Her eyes opened in despair, but instead of seeing the tiny apartment, she saw a dimly lit room. The floors were red, like blood, while there were no walls, just darkness. She stepped into the room, surprised at the lack of pain from her feet as she moved, and gazed at a black chair in the center of the space.

The seat was turned toward her, as she walked closer to it. Her feet stopped in it's tracks, as she saw a figure lift itself from the seat. When had it been there?

The dark figure gradually swayed in front of her. Snake eyes bore themselves into Maka's.

Medusa.

"Y-you're d-d-dead . . ." The girl stammered, hands shaking into fists.

"Silly child, for I am here. That means I can not possibly be dead. But as for you . . . I cant say the same."

An evil smirk crawled on the witch's lips.

"W-What do you mean?" This was an illusion, it had to be.

"No girl, what your seeing is real." Maka looked dumbfounded, could she read minds?

"Well no, only yours dear, for you see, I am inside of you. When you fall unconscious, I can hear every little thought you think." Medusa said thumping her fore head. That's why it didn't hurt here, she wasn't awake.

"Inside of me?" Maka tried to act brave.

The witch cackled, "Yes, when my snake bit you, if left some of my DNA in your pathetic body. But that's not what I want to talk to you about, _meister."_

Okay, now Maka's getting angry. _Pathetic?_ Whatever.

"What do you want, witch?"

Medusa smirked, her eyes narrowing. "How much pain are you in, child?"

Maka glared daggers at the hag, "You should know."

The sorceress chuckled evilly, "All too well. And how bad do want the pain to go away?"

Maka grunted in response.

"Well, I suppose we have but two options, now don't we?"

"Spit it out, Medusa."

The snake smirked, "Fine if you're in such a hurry. Your first choice is the easy way out. Succumb to the madness that's beginning to plague your soul. Simple, huh?"

Maka growled, "Not happening, next option."

Medusa's smirk grew till it covered her entire face, "You perform three simple, easy, _impossible, tasks."_

"Name them."

"Listen carefully girl, for I will only say them once, and once only. The first task is the easiest. Make a sturdy rope out of sand."

Ugh, okay I might can make that happen, Maka thought.

"Second is difficult, you must slay a dragon . . ."

How was that more difficult?

" . . . using only a sewing needle."

Crap.

"Third is the hardest, you must steal Zeus's lightning bolt staff and bear it for a full twenty-four hours."

Double crap.

"Here are the rules, you are not allowed to use any magic what so ever. Your time limit is thirty days."

"Huh, why only a month? And what's the point in this little game Medusa?"

The witch cackled again, "Isn't obvious child? The bite was meant to kill you from the start! Either way, in this game, I will win! Your soul will practically be drowning in the madness I have supplied for it, just begging to take over."

Maka didn't respond.

"Oh." The witch said, "Your time limit starts now."

She turned from Maka, only to stop and smile.

"Good luck."


End file.
